{"id":818819,"date":"2026-10-30T16:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T16:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/818819\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T16:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T16:08:10","slug":"review-enslaved-mid-the-progressive-subway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/818819\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Enslaved – Mi\u00f0 – The Progressive Subway"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Cory<\/a> on 2026\/10\/302026\/10\/30<\/p>\n

\"\"No artist credited<\/p>\n

Style: progressive black metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Emperor, Borknagar, Opeth
Country: Norway
Release date: 30 October 2026<\/p>\n

In the esoteric world of progressive black metal, no band\u2019s influence ranks higher than Enslaved\u2019s. If they didn\u2019t create the style entirely, these Norwegians have carried the genre\u2019s flag for decades, spanning a discography legendary for its consistency. The band\u2019s penchant for stylistic progression makes their track record all the more impressive\u2014although no single release has totally reinvented their sound, each of the preceding sixteen albums has covered new ground without a marked drop in quality or loss of identity. From early grim and frostbitten riffs to expansive melodic soundscapes, prog- and folk-filled explorations, and everywhere in between, Enslaved\u2019s catalog is one of the richest you\u2019ll find. Their seventeenth album, Mi\u00f0, continues in this spirit of measured progress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

More than any previous Enslaved album, Mi\u00f0 feels human\u2014grounded, perhaps. Cosmic themes and spacey atmospheres course through the record, as expected, but they\u2019re woven into an earthly, immediate sound. The tribal chants coloring \u201cI Am Ice,\u201d provided by S\u00e1mi1<\/a> musician Johan Sara Jr., imbue an otherwise blistering cut with a palpable sense of connectivity. \u201cMountain,\u201d meanwhile, begins with lazy strumming and synths reminiscent of a campfire flickering at a mountain\u2019s base. Then, at the track\u2019s midpoint, a deep, chunky, truly thunderous riff storms in, as if to illustrate the mountain\u2019s grandeur and the power of nature, to which we\u2019re all ultimately subject. The massive bass tone and off-kilter rhythm add to the effect. Best capturing Mi\u00f0\u2019s ethos, though, is \u201cSpirit Helper,\u201d a morning prayer sung by Kevin Kicking Woman, a member of the Blackfeet Nation.2<\/a> Enslaved took his recital as originally recorded at a ceremony in New York and composed around it. The band\u2019s recognizable acoustic guitar textures, melodic riffing, and airy atmospherics wrap organically around ritualistic vocalizations, recontextualizing Enslaved\u2018s sound to forge an almost spiritual connection between themselves and KKW. As the album\u2019s thematic centerpiece, \u201cSpirit Helper\u201d faithfully captures the inarticulable essence that binds us all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Setting these loftier themes aside, Mi\u00f0 is fundamentally a progressive black metal record, and an excellent one at that. The verse of \u201cSolar Will\u201d is surely an album highlight, as rolling tremolos surge beneath perfectly placed melodic accents and traded harsh and clean vocals. \u201cTales of Trees,\u201d too, offers a balance of hostility and soaring beauty that only Enslaved can strike\u2014particularly when its floating, synth-driven chorus is satisfyingly ripped down by biting guitars and emphatic growls. Both tracks are masterclasses in concision, making an extraordinary impact with runtimes under five minutes. Yet it\u2019s \u201cParting,\u201d the longest track on Mi\u00f0 at just over eight minutes, where Enslaved are at their most enrapturing. A gorgeous keyboard intro followed by an equally enthralling Bathory-esque acoustic passage sets the tone for a track with riffs and vocal melodies so dreamy it\u2019s hard to believe we\u2019re still somewhere in the black metal genre. \u201cParting\u201d is quintessential Enslaved; their signature style at its peak.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All this said, my praise for Mi\u00f0 wasn\u2019t instant. As with virtually all of Enslaved\u2019s works, it took me repeated listens to make sense of the songs\u2019 structures and buy into the album\u2019s vision. What started as roughly organized sonic bits cohered into a legible musical narrative over the course of weeks. A few parts have remained misaligned: the short album opener \u201cNon-Being\u201d doesn\u2019t feel like an essential lead-in to \u201cI Am Ice,\u201d and the tribal-oriented outro of \u201cI Am Ice,\u201d in turn, sounds stapled on. \u201cI Mi\u00f0ju\u201d is more straightforward than the other tracks and falls slightly flat as an album closer, and each time I hear \u201cMountain,\u201d its second half feels a little short\u2014as great as the track is, it could have been expanded into something especially epic. But these quibbles aren\u2019t nearly enough to stop Mi\u00f0 from being one of this year\u2019s most powerful listens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seventeen albums and over thirty years in, Enslaved remain the de facto voice of progressive black metal. Beyond that, few bands in any genre have a catalog as consistently forward-thinking and exciting. Mi\u00f0 is a testament to the group\u2019s deliberate evolution, taking a more grounded musical shape that captures the spirit of human connectedness. And still, the blackened bite, compositional sophistication, and melodic ingenuity that have long defined Enslaved remain intact. Of a late-career release, really, what more could we ask? The band\u2019s well of inspiration is infinitely deep.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Solar Will, Mountain, Parting
You may also like: Namu<\/a>, Finsterforst<\/a>, IATT<\/a>, Juodvarnis<\/a>, Vintersorg<\/a>
Final verdict: 8\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Nuclear Blast Records<\/a><\/p>\n

Enslaved are:
\u2013 Grutle Kjellson (bass, harsh vocals)
\u2013 Ivar Bj\u00f8rnson (guitars, backing vocals)
\u2013 Arve Isdal (guitars, backing vocals)
\u2013 H\u00e5kon Vinje (keyboards, clean vocals)
\u2013 Iver Sand\u00f8y (drums)
With guests:
\u2013 Kevin Kicking Woman (vocals, \u201cSpirit Helper\u201d)
\u2013 Johan Sara Jr. (additional vocals, \u201cI Am Ice\u201d)<\/p>\n

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